Gate-hinge.



A. SUNDH.

GATE HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I0, 1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

I l/VVE/VTOR WITNESSES M KKK AUGUST S'UNIDH, 0'3 HASTINGS-UPON-HUIDSGN, NEW YORK.

GATE-HINGE.

Application filed December 10, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST Simon, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hastings-upon-Hudson, .in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gate-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gate hinging mechanism. and more particularly to that type known as self closing.

The various objects of the invention Will be fully stated hereinafter in connection with the detailed description, butbriefly stated they are as follows, to wit,

' The provision of a gate hinging mechanism which is self closing from both directions; a hinging mechanism that is easy to assemble; a hinging mechanism which will be well lubricated at all times; and a hinging mechanism which will be well protected from the elements, and from foreign substances getting to the inside and wearing out the bearings.

Referring tothedrawings, which illustrate my invention, and which like parts are represented by like reference characters, Figure 1 is an elevation view partly in section of one part of my apparatus in place on a gate and gate post; Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, l have shown part of my apparatus applied to a gate, 1, and gate post, 2. T he hinge is made up of two cylindrical cups, 3 and 4, which fit over each other in a manner hereinafter more fully pointed out. Extending from the bottom of the cup, 1, is an arm, 5, which is secured to the gate post 2, in any desired manner, but here shown as having its end, 6, concave, to conform to the shape of the gate post. Another part or clamp, 7 the end of which is concave also,.is provided, which fits over the opposite side of the gate post from the end, 6, of the arm, 5. The parts, 6 and 7, are then held fast to each other, and the gate post, by means of screw bolts, 8, of which there are two. I have merely shown this method of attaching the hinge to the gate post for the purpose of illustration. Set

securely into the arm, 5, is a spindle, 9,

extending upwardly to near the top of the cup. Formed in the inside of the cup, 4, at the bottom, and surrounding the spindle, 9, is a boss, 10, carrying ball bearings, 11.

hpecification of-lletters Patent.

Patented Apr, 21?, 1% 15.

Serial No. 676,402.

Mounted upon the ball bearings is a plate 12 which is practically of the same dl'. ameter as the boss, 10. The upper cup, 3,

.when in place is inverted and fits over the lower cup, a. This cup, 8, is formed on its inside with an extension cylinder, 12, concentric with the inner surface of the cup, and of a diameter slightly less than that of the plate 12". The bore of this cylinder is enough larger than the diameter of the spindle, 9, to permit of roller bearings,

13, being placed between the spindle and the bore of the cylinder. The cylinder, 12", is of such a length that when its lower end rests on theplate, 12, there will be a, slight clearance between the top of the cup 4 and the inside of the bottom of the cup, 3. The cup, 3, is further provided at the left of the part, 12, (Fig. 1) with downwardly extending projection, it. This projection extends downwardly nearly to the bottom of the inside of the cup, the clearance between the bottom of the cup and the end of the projection being merely a matter of choice, except that the part, 1%, must extend downwardly at least to the top of the plate, 12 Formed on the inside of the cup, a at the left of projection, 1a, in Fig. 1, and extending vertically up the side of the cup is a rib, 15. Surrounding loosely the part, 12 and resting. on the plate 12, is a coil spring, 16, the ends of which extend to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, straddling the projection, let, and the projection, 15. 'This and preferably a little below it.-

spring has to be forced into place as it is put under tension when made to straddlev the projections 14 and 15. This tension on it will keep the parts 14 and 15 abreast of each other when the hinge is not being operated. Extending from and pivoted to a boss, 16, formed on the outside of the cup, 3, abreast of the bore of the cylinder, 12, is an arm, 18, which is fastened to the gate. I have shown this arm bent to conform to the shape of the gate and held in place to the gate by two screws, 19, 19, but it is to be understood that the arm may be secured to the gate by any convenient memes.

the parts 12 and 4., the part 12 will rest on the platerl2 before the part): engages the cup, 3. This means that whatever downward thrust there is on the hinge will be taken up by the balls 11. When the part 3 '10 is swung around in one direction or the other to open the gate, the spring 16 will be placed under additional tension by the action of the parts 14 and 15, which tension will center the hinge when the gate is released. As- 15 before {stated the spring being always under some tension will tend to keep the parts centered when the hinge is not being operated.

Having thus described my invention, I desire not to be limited to the precise con- 'struction herein disclosed, it being understood that persons skilled in the art may make various changes in the details of construction and arrangements of parts as here-' in shown, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

,What I claim and desire to have protected by Letters Patent of the United States is 1- 1. In a hinge, a stationary memberya centralispindle, a revoluble member having a socket extending over said spindle and guided thereby, a center position for said revoluble member, a stop in the stationary member, an extension on the revoluble memher, a torsional spring surrounding the spindle and the socket and guided thereby,

one end engaging on one side of the stop and the other end engaging on the other side of the stop in the stationary member, the extension of the revoluble member being 40 interposed between the ends of said spring,-

thereby holding the revoluble member in central position.

2. In a hinge, a stationary member, another member adapted for manual operation in one direction or the other from a central position, a central spindle supported by the stationary member, the manually operable member having a socket extending over said spindle and guide thereby, a stop in the stationary member, an extension on the manually operable member, a torsional spring surrounding the spindle and the socket and guided thereby, the ends of the spring engaging the stop in the stationary 55.member and held under torsional tension by said stop, the extension of the manually operable member being interposed between the ends of said torsional spring and held in a central position thereby, said extension adapted to wind up the spring when the manually operable member is operated to one side or-the other from a-center.

3. In a hinge, a stationary member, another member adapted for manual operation in one direction or the other from a central position, a central spindle for said members,

sockets in the said members for holding and guiding the members, a-torsional spring surrounding the said spindle with its two ends extending out and engaging with a stop in the stationary member and held under torsional strain by said stop, an extension in the manually operable member interposed between the ends of said torsional spring and held in a central position thereby, said extension adapted toroperate the spring to nism consisting of a central spindle for holdingand guiding said members relative to each other, a torsional spring surrounding said spindle, means always to hold said spring under tension and=to-increase said tension upon manual operation of the rev.- oluble member, roller v bearings for the spindle, the revoluble member having downwardly extending walls freely fitted to clear the walls of the stationary member.

5. A hinge, comprising stationary and revoluble members, the stationary member constructed to hold a lubricant, cooperating mechanism for said members, said mechanism consisting of a center spindle with antifriction bearings, a torsional spring, meansto, hold said spring under torsional strain, means to obtain an increased torsional spring tension by a manual operation of the revoluble member, said revoluble memberhaving walls extending downward and freely fitted to clear the walls of the stationary member, a pivoted lever connected to said revoluble member and adapted to suspend a load and also adapted to transmit a manual operation to the revoluble member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST SUN DH. 

